The latest news from the world of mobile marketing.

October 2013

10/28/2013

With a booming economy
ranked 15th in the world - and much of that wealth generated by
technology - it’s hardly surprising that South Korea is a nation of plugged-in,
tech-savvy citizens. But recent reports from the Korea Internet & Security
Agency (KISA) and Google indicate just how pervasive web-enabled devices have
become in South Korean society, and especially among the youth demographic.

According to KISA,
smartphone penetration among 18-59 year-olds had leapt from 39.2% in 2011 to
78.5% the following year. This year, a Google poll surveyed South Korean
internet users and found that nearly 98% of 18-24 year-olds own a smartphone. Market
penetration remained high in the next two categories, with 95% of 25-34
year-olds and nearly 90% of 35-44 year olds saying they owned a smartphone. The
figures drop off in the older demographic, with only 25% of over-55’s having a
smartphone.

In another report –
published recently in emarketer
– DMC Media looked at the ways in which South Korean smartphone owners use
their devices. The survey polled web-enabled mobile device users between the ages
of 19 and 59, and found that 64% of respondents used smartphones primarily to
send mobile messages, with social media (43.4%), email (26.2%) and web browsing
(25.2%) accounting for the remainder of main uses.

Samsung Surge

The high uptake of smartphone
usage in South Korea is a reflection of the country’s booming tech sector. At
the vanguard of this boom is Samsung, a world-leader in smartphone development.
India-based news channel the Deccan Chronicle recently
reported a third-quarter surge of 26% for the company – another new record
for Samsung, which has posted record profits in six of the past seven quarters.

This upsurge in fortunes is
largely attributable to the Seoul firm’s reinvigorated memory chip business,
which has seen global profits double to 2.06 trillion won, the highest figure
in three years. Samsung’s Galaxy devices still have some way to go to match
iPhone sales, but the company’s mobile division nevertheless reported profits
of 6.7 trillion won.

Clearly, mobile technology
is at the forefront of South Korean culture and commerce and as a world-leader
in terms of tech development and consumer uptake, that situation is unlikely to
change anytime soon…

10/17/2013

As the state governor announces the introduction of safe “texting zones”, the push to stamp out phone use behind the wheel is finding support in all sorts of places.

Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the implementation of 91 “texting zones” intended to curb the growing trend of traffic accidents caused by mobile phone use. The program will make use of existing rest areas, with more zones being added if the scheme proves successful.

The idea is simple. Just as road signs currently implore tired drivers to pull over, so they are being encouraged to park up if they want to send a text message. Nearly 300 new signs promoting the zones are being erected around New York. Gov. Cuomo made his intentions clear during a press conference to launch the program, saying “New York State is continuing to use every tool at its disposal to combat texting while driving."

“These zones will be identified with signs along the thruway and state highways, reminding drivers that there is a nearby opportunity for them to legally and safely use their phone… we are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road,” he added.

The scheme is part of a wider push to reduce the number of text-related accidents. New York has recently increased the fines imposed on people caught texting and driving. Penalties now range from $50 to $150 for a first offense, up to $200 for a second offense and up to $400 for a third offense. And the NYPD highway patrol have just adopted a new lifted SUV, allowing them to look into cars from above to see if drivers are sneakily texting below the dash. The results have been undeniable: a 365% increase in tickets compared to the previous summer.

For supporters of safer texting practices, the announcement came not a moment too soon. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently classified texting and driving as the most “alarming” distraction for drivers because it causes motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel and attention away from the act of driving. Their data bears out the seriousness of the problem: 3,300 people killed and 387,000 people injured in text-related car accidents in 2011.

How businesses are making texting safer

As SMS becomes more widespread, safe texting advocates are looking to other states to follow New York’s lead and bring in similar legislation. Mobile communications firms like Ez Texting are playing their part, developing ways to schedule important business texts for release at pre-determined times. Users can simply write their message from the office, schedule it to go out at any date and time and create a contact list. The message will go out automatically, even if the sender is on the road.

Others have developed apps with the express aim of discouraging texting behind the wheel. Android’s Textecution cuts off texting capabilities if a phone is moving faster than walking pace, while AT&T’s DriveMode works like an out-of-office reply, automatically sending customized responses to incoming messages. Users have to be disciplined and manually enable the app before driving. The DriveSafe.ly app reads messages aloud in real time, and send an autoresponse letting people know that the person they are trying to reach is driving.

Pressure is coming from both the private and public sector. The Million Pledge Mission is a program aimed at getting a million people to commit to being no-texting drivers, and most states have passed laws that ban texting or phone use while driving.

This gradual move towards taboo status is the real key to preventing accidents. Like smoking and drink driving before it, texting while driving is becoming as much of an affront to society as it is to the law. A recent Harris Interactive Survey indicates that close to 90% of Americans think texting while driving should be outlawed by the federal government. But, with two thirds of them admitting they have done it, it’s a long road aho…